I have different top 10's but I will give a general one just for the hell of it...
In no order by the way...
Tech N9ne
Lupe
K-Rino
Jean Grae
Canibus
Raw Poetic (of Panacea)
Aesop Rock
KRS-One
Mos Def
M-1 and Stic of Dead Prez
I have my reasons for each one just as everyone else does.

I really do hate making lists
Always forget someone
Ice Cube is that someone.
Anyways I'd rather just name all the dope rappers instead of ranking them, which I wont do now because I don't feel like it.

1 tupac ( he died for the turth)
2 lupe (juypppp,,,, muslim pac?)
3 imortal technique ( turth yah, too bad he got into communism +latin up)
4 Brother Ali ( yeah yeah king )
5 Napoleon ( Mutah UP UP , Mutah hitin da streets instead of makin muziks , props, late mixtapes are da truth)
-->DA TURTH http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTOn1sTBq1o
6 K'naan (!!!! kenan , ignorant rap cant touch this)
7 Charles Hamilton ( all the ignorant rappers in 1, and then not tellin lies to the kids)
Bushido ( german rap waddup!, )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDjbqfhVfoU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_LsAH7nGj8 skilllz
9 Malik B ( the roots era) THe Spark , DA TRUTH
10 Amir Sulaiman ( true artist ;])
im shocked by the amout of the "Concious Rappers" who spit ignorant packed like it's the truth, in most of the lists posted. shit ain't changed since the last time i came back.
to those who say tupac spits ignorant, he does but he is da truth , them rests are p4ssays , so to say./
brother khalil wil cover the psychological effects his image and life had on the video on Concious Raps influence, his reactionary behavior and self destructive life are testaments to that.
also he also will cover that conscious Rap creates Ignorant and Maleable Persons.
Muzot 4i

lol @ mentioning jane n Finch.
I got love for Jane strip, SSJS and the whole Grand Ravine block.
Don't even bother tryna threat people on here either idiot.
I have preached and preached again, your discussion tactics are juvenile and idiotic. Either you smarten the fuck up and get back the respect of people to even read your shit, or keep talking non sense and be subject to labelling and ignored.

When I pull from personal opinion rather than massive appeal, I don't count things like, length in the industry or amount of success, with that said, the list is comprised of lyrics I hear and FEEL, not just take a fancy to poetically, rhythmically, or aesthetically. If I don't feel you, I ain't listenin.
1. P.O.S. - Realest I've ever heard, ridiculous
2. Lupe - Too sick for words
3. Lauryn - Educational and I don't mean that as a pun
4. Royce Da 5' 9" - He says things as I think 'em, it's crazy
5. Eminem - Lyrically untouchable
6. Mike Shinoda - Not overly skilled but more than makes up for it with visceral lyrics
7. Jay-Z - Constantly breaking standards, only reason I keep listening to the radio
8. Kid CuDi - Talk about a breath of fresh air
9. Pharoah Monch - He says things that I gotta rewind twice to understand
10. Mat Kearney - Never heard poem to song any better
Yes, Mat Kearney, I call poem to sound rap and that's what he did, and it was great. And if general hip-hop was on instead just lyricists, I'd prolly have Missy, Kanye, Dre and/or Pharrell on here but I respect their work as producer's more than rappers. And mind you, this list'll prolly change (not drastically) in a week or so, as it should be since this music thing is an (r)evolutionary process.

Yeaahh, lack of material but it's not quantity it's quality right? errr.. haha... tbh I was sick of all these males, the feminist side of me coming out ahaha, mad biased in other words. But I do have so much respect for her and badu as well. :)

Nas
Black Thought
Jay-Z
Rakim
Scarface
Common
Mos Def
Ghostface Killah
And throw Biggie and Pac in there even though the two are overrated as hell, Pac wouldn't be if he didn't switch his style up though.
And I can't put Eminem in because of how overrated he has become now, plus I never thought he was that great anyways.